The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-01-12

lied be named the John "A. Logan Post and
be organized mere. Ex- Senator Ferry was
then introduced and spoke for a few mo-
moments. Senator Hueston was the last
speaker.
The building was thoroughly inspected
by the crowds present. and when night
came the tinkle of sleigh bells had ceased
to southland the throng was gone. Over
four hundred soldiers will be quartered In
the new Home at once.
Inception OF the Project.
At the annual encampment Of the G. A.
II. held in Detroit January %, "a, 1884, re-
solutions were adopted looking to the es-
Enlistment of branch National Home In
this State. The result was that bills were
introduced in Congress by Hon. Geo. l..
Yaple, Hon. L. w. Palmer and Hon. b. NJ.
Cutcheon, but all of them failed of passage,
and the adverse report of the managers of
the National Homes seems to have settled
the question OF national aid.
But this did not discourage the good
work, and the projectors of this benefcent
work only waited until the Legislature of
Michigan met in 1885 TO there present the
cause 10 the representatives of the people
of the State of Michigan.
One day in the early part of the session
DIR. Rush j. Shank the Department Com
General, accompanied by the Hons. John
Northwood and Free Estee, entered the
room of the Committee on State Affairs,
and with Major j. w. Long, the clerk of
the committee, held consultation over
what materialiZed as the present Soldiers
Home bill Mr.. Estee was chairman of the
Committee on State Affairs, and it was de-
sired TO have the bill referred to friendly
committee and placed in sympathetic
hands. Hon. John Northwood, of Saginaw
County, introduced the BIZ Jan. u, 1885;
it was referred by request to the Committee
on State Affairs, and by them fayorably
| reported.
This was critical period. and Speaker
Clark called Hon. l.. n. Sellers. Speaker
pro tenn, TO the chair, and as Speaker he
saved the Soldiers Home bill by his gen.
| erous rull: that il only took n majority
vote TO pass the bill The bill passed by
81 yeas. % nays, and % not voting.
II then reached the Senate, where it was
referred to the Committees on Military
| Affairs and Finance jointly, and was re-
ported back by them with sundry amend
ments, June 3, 1885, when it was passed by
| a unanimous vote.
The Home once established, Governor
Alger appointed his Board of Managers as
| follows:
For six years, Aaron Il. Bliss of Saginaw
Samuel Wells, OF Buchanan
For four years, Byron r. Pierce, OF Grand
! Rapids Royal A. Renick, of Detroit.
For two years, Michal Brown of Big Rapids
! Charles Y. Osburn of Marquette.
Proposals were Advertised for, and the
contract let to Mr. Charles Tiedke, for the
sum of S99, 667.57.
! Mr.. Tiedke broke ground March 10, 1886.
| The first stone was laid April ID, 1886, and
on Dec. 30, of the same year, he turned
4 nvar "a haautiful structura for dedication
The Building.
The architecture of the building is in the
Norman Gothic style, and stands upon q
gentle rise or ground facing the river, and
! fianked by oak groves. Three million and
q half of red brick stretched out into three
wings and built up three stories high, are
there; two hundred and fifty cords of rub
BILE stone hold them up, and the windows
are capped and garnis ed by cut brown
sandstone. The building is constructed
in the shape of capital Il" with
! parallel intersecting the perpendicular at
right angles half way between the top and
bottom lines and of equal length with them.
! The front length is 25S feet, two of the
wings are each 100 feet lon, and the GEN.
| tral one. with its heavily mullioned porte
! cochere and stone stepped poItieo on one
| extremity, and engine and boiler house on
the other side. covers in length 1872 feet of
ground. All these wings are connected by
ample corridors. The foundation walls,
which are made of rubble stone, two and
half ieet thick, rest upon concrete footing
six inches thick and three feet wide TOR the
general walls, placed four feet below the
| grade level, and three feet deeper for the
/ foundations of chimneys aud the tower.
The walls of the first story are 20 and Is
inches thick; on the second, 16 and IL; aud
on the third and fourth, ~. All of the in
terror main walls are of brick, II and 16
inches thick, varying according to posi-
ton. A tower, "a feet square, rises to the
majestic height of 157 feet. and affords to
the observer view of eight miles, in
which to view the city and the land and
water scenes in its vicinity. Just over the
main entrance, on the peak of the roof, Is
huge Effect high compressed zinc SOL
der, standing with gun in hand in an atli-
tude which plainly asks who comes
fhpre2n